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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25827214">Don't Test Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenBread/pseuds/GreenBread'>GreenBread</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Vengeance [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>BAMF Clementine (Walking Dead), Blood and Gore, Gen, Hurt Clementine (Walking Dead), Interrogation, Morally Ambiguous Character, Negan Being Negan (Walking Dead), Walkers (Walking Dead)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:42:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,603</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25827214</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenBread/pseuds/GreenBread</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Clementine wasn't one to take things lying down. So when a group of bandits attack her and AJ, beating her to within an inch of her life and taking him from her. You could damn well bet she was going to do everything in her power to get him back, again.</p><p>The question is: just how far is too far?</p><p>(Set between the events of Season 3 and Season 4)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>AJ | Alvin Jr. &amp; Clementine (Walking Dead)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Vengeance [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1889512</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Eyeball</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>It’s recently occurred to me that I should probably put a warning first. If you’re squeamish you will probably not like this fic. Mainly because of this chapter.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Clementine flipped her knife effortlessly through the air, catching the crooked and sinister glint of the flickering rows of lights strung up like Christmas lights across the ceiling of the dark, dingy and dusty basement. Her piercing amber orbs were glaring at a blindfolded man tied to the old chair opposite her. A thick bush of black hair, wild and untamed sat upon his head. He wore a sweaty, tatty white vest that clung to his frame and his hands were bound behind his back with zip ties, wrapping behind the chair.</p><p>Her eyes fell to his younger brother. He was only nine and the effects of growing up in this harsh world was evident by his appearance. He was small, much smaller than she was at his age. The kid was also blindfolded and strapped to the chair. The only difference between him and his older brother was that he was awake, breath rattling and picking up as he struggled against his bonds. The chair legs scraped against the grey concrete, creating a horrid and sharp sound that stabbed through her eardrums. </p><p>"Hey," She said suddenly, catching the young boy's attention. Her voice was cold and harsh. Silencing the noise the boy's fruitless struggles were making. His head craned to look in her direction. She was sure the eyes of a terrified and innocent kid hid beneath the black of the blindfold, "Quit moving."</p><p>The boy did as he was told and his head hung low and his whole body slumped. Her eyes softened but she forced them to harden. Interrogation wasn't something she wanted to do, but she didn't have much choice. They were from the group that had taken AJ, or at least, worked closely with them. She had noticed them scouting the area she and AJ were in the night before their group rushed in, beat her within a half-inch of her life and left her for dead as a horde of walkers descended upon her. </p><p>The group had taken AJ with them after stealing and robbing from her. Apparently, killing toddlers wasn't something they did. But robbing from a starving teen was. </p><p>Clementine couldn't say she felt bad for what she was about to do, but she knew she was never going to be proud of it. AJ took priority. Always. And right now she needed to find him and these were the only people who could tell her where he is. </p><p>She touched the dark plum-coloured bruise and the copious amount of swelling that sat dormant under her right eye and hissed, recoiling her fingers away. She was lucky she didn't lose it when they wailed on her. She shifted in her seat as the older brother stirred. A low groan rasping out his throat. He shook his head and the first thing he did was try to fight against the ironclad clutches of the zip ties.</p><p>"So," She spoke, voice more gentle than it was earlier, "Tell me where you took him." She demanded.</p><p>"Who?" The man rasped, his voice was hoarse and she could hear the growl of dehydration behind it. </p><p>She rocketed from her seat and forcefully ripped the blindfold off, feeling its rugged texture in her palm. She glared at him, seeing the wisps of realisation playing in the corners of his olive eyes. "Don't play dumb. Answer the question. Where'd you take my kid?" </p><p>"I-I don't know." </p><p>A growl rattled from within the locked cages of her throat. She brandished her blade and held the sharp point under his left eye, digging into his dark skin. His eyes widened.</p><p>"I'm tellin' the truth! Honest!" </p><p>Her jaw clenched shut and her teeth ground together, "Sure you are," She bit. She worked the steel of her knife up his face, and over his cheek, so it rested in the crook of his lower eyelid and his eyeball. She took a moment to analyse his frightened face. The beads of sweat on his brow, the quick breaths, the pure panic darting in his eyes. Her amber orbs steeled further and she drove the point of the blade under his eyeball. The man screamed, tearing his vocal cords raw as he thrashed and thrashed. She wiggled the blade, feeling it meet some resistance against the bone of his eye socket.</p><p>With a tiny grunt of effort, she pried his eyeball out. It was hanging out the socket, dangling by a fleshy thread and resting on his cheek. Her hand wrapped around the loose eye, it felt like a clump of gel, and with a forceful tug, she ripped it off its cord. The man screamed again and she could hear the distinct noise of his younger brother reacting to the noise. His screams of terror muffled.</p><p>The man's head sunk and she ran her hand under his jaw. Sobs shook his body and she pried his face up. The empty and bleeding socket was disgusting. "Now," She murmured into his ear and stabbing her now bloody knife into his knee. He howled in pain as the sharp blade cleaved into the gap between his kneecap and the rest of his leg, "Tell me where AJ is or I pop something else out." She growled menacingly.</p><p>The man whimpered and cried, shaking his head and repeating a chorus of no's. She wiggled the knife, hearing the soft sound of it cutting through his flesh.   </p><p>She cocked her head, glaring. The man's mouth opened a slobber of spit hit her in the face. She wiped it away with her sleeve and frowned. With one smooth movement, she pried off his kneecap. Tugging the knife back out and ignoring his high pitched howls of pain, she walked behind the struggling kid's chair and pushed it in front of his brother. She ripped off his blindfold in a blur and her gaze fell back onto the man. Ignoring the feelings of doubt that crawled down her skin, she pushed the kid in front of his brother.</p><p>"H-Hey, hey, Sam. Everything's going to be alright, okay." The older tried to reassure, croaking the words out through his warped sobs. Sam shook his head wildly, tears building in his eyes like a puddle. Clementine sighed and walked to a small, low to the ground table. A meat cleaver resided on it. Bathing in the flickering lights. A wave of sick coursed through her and wrapped around her body. She never wanted to go this extreme. He was just a kid. And she was about to chop his hand off like she chopping off the rotten part of a vegetable. An unwanted piece soon to be discarded into the compost bin. </p><p>Biting the inside of her cheek, the teenager grabbed the bulky weapon and casually strolled back over. She couldn't let them see her hesitation. She untied the kid and swiftly pushed him to the cold and hard ground. She jabbed her knee into the small of his back and he squirmed. She grabbed a bundle of his coal hair and slammed his face into the ground, hearing the sound of his nose breaking. A small stain of blood remained on the floor. </p><p>Her hand found his skinny forearm and she held it still. He tried to fight back but it was useless. He was pinned to the ground. She looked at the older brother, "Tell me what I want to know and I don't take his hand."</p><p>She saw the fog of pure and unbridled hatred in his eyes as he struggled against the bonds. "Don't- Please! No! He's all I have! Don't!</p><p>Her gaze hardened and morphed to steel, "AJ's all I have," She bit.</p><p>She brought the blade of the meat cleaver up into the air and she suddenly slammed it down, slicing through the muscle, sinew and bone in the kids arm like butter. It clunked as it hit the concrete on the other side. A bloodcurdling scream exploded from the kid, escaping through the shoddy gag in his mouth. His hot tears splashed to the ground and his hand fell to the side, rolling. Separated from his arm in a shower of thick and dark blood. She dropped the cleaver.</p><p>Clementine grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and held his head up, so his frightened and pain-filled eyes landed on his older brother. The nine-year-old cried out for his older brother and her gaze softened. The older one didn't pick up on it though, too focused on the kid's lack of a hand. </p><p>His nose crinkled up and he sent daggers of hate in her direction, "You bitch! I ain't tellin' you shit!"</p><p>She ignored him and placed the blade of her trusty knife against the kid's neck, feeling as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down. She raised a brow.</p><p>"Y-You wouldn't-" </p><p>"Tell. Me. Where. He. Is." Her tone was empty, devoid of any emotion except harsh. She eyed him as a conflicted look washed over his face. Crinkles in his forehead making an appearance. </p><p>He averted his gaze, "Fine..." He sounded defeated, "Just don't kill him."</p><p>She moved the knife away from Sam's neck, "Where is he then?" </p><p>The man went silent, eye staring at anywhere but at her, "I-I don't know-" </p><p>She punched Sam in the back of the head, propelling it into the ground knocking him out cold. Her lips snarled and she wrapped a tourniquet around his stump. She stood, feeling the sharp point of one of her broken ribs stab into her side. Hissing, she placed a hand on her waist, massaging the sore spot. She staggered over to the older brother and crouched in front of him so they were the same height, "I never got your name." </p><p>"Max," He snarled, venom dripping off his tongue. </p><p>She glared right back, "Clementine. Glad to make your acquaintance." </p><p>"The feeling ain't mutual." </p><p>She let out a breathy chuckle, "I'm pretty sure it is. Your group beat me, stole from me and then took him from me. You have no idea just how much I hate you," She paused, "Now I didn't want to bring your brother into this, Hell, I don't think he even knew what your group was going to do to me, did he?"</p><p>His silence was the only answer she got.</p><p>"I get it. You want him to live a normal life." She eyed his hand, "That isn't happening anymore now is it?" </p><p>He growled in his seat and attempted to jump out of it, "If you think I won't kill you-" </p><p>"I'm sure you'd love to. But you won't be able to do anything unless you tell me what I want, so..." She grabbed him by the jaw, forcing him to look at her, "Where is he?"</p><p>His lips parted but she cut him off.</p><p>"If you say you don't know then I will kill him. I'm not as nice as you. I don't have a no-kids policy. Especially when mine is on the line. So, I ask again, where is he?" </p><p>"Up North," He croaked through his tears, utterly defeated, "H-He's up North." </p><p>"That isn't good enough!" She barked, "I need specifics."</p><p>He swallowed a lump in his throat, "We're holed up in an old gas station. It's... It's hard to miss. Right on the road leading into the city, Washington." </p><p>She nodded, pleased and stood, letting his head fall back down again. She manoeuvred so she was behind him and held his head back up again, placing the blade of her knife against his exposed neck, "For the record, I was never going to kill him," She let it sink in for a moment before grinding the knife against his throat, splitting the skin and creating an eruption of blood that flew everywhere. </p><p>Clementine let his head go once again. He was dead and she could feel his body going cold already. She cut off the zip ties around his wrists and began heading up the stairs, walking past the still conscious kid on the ground. She gave a final parting glance to Max, hearing a silent wheeze grumble out his mouth. </p><p>"I never said anything about you though." </p><p>She slammed the door shut with a loud and deafening bang. She locked it. Clementine's hand slipped slowly from the handle, lingering in the air for a precious few moments. Maybe she went a bit too far? No, no. She didn't. They stole AJ from her and after how long it took for her to find him the first time she was going to do whatever it takes. She winced, hearing Max's claws tear into his little brother. Loose ends were dangerous but...</p><p>Maybe she should've been more merciful. Gave them a second chance. They had given her what she wanted after all. But they also took it in the first place. Hunting another victim when she caught up with them. They were sloppy, didn't hide their tracks. That's why it was so easy. How many people had they killed? She had killed before, everyone has this long into the apocalypse, but did they need to? To her, killing was always a last resort.</p><p>Pushing her thoughts to the back of her mind, she limped into the living room and collapsed onto the sofa. Her ribs aching and protesting at every little movement, stabbing her. Each footstep was a hilted breath that didn't quite escape her split lip. The pillow was soft and feathery, contrasting with the sticky tar coloured leather. Her hand fell off the side, two fingers taped together, and brushed the soft beige bristles of the carpet. Running like they would through AJ's hair whenever he had a nightmare. </p><p>She pulled the brim of her incredibly roughed and torn up hat over her eyes, covering them in a swarm of darkness. She would love to go after AJ right now but she had nothing and they had everything. She'd have to ask for a favour or two first but it was too late at night for that. The Saviours wouldn't be very accepting of her wanting to speak with Negan this late. </p><p>Especially if he was busy with his wives. </p><p>She rolled onto her side, hissing at the pain that faded as soon as it blazed. She pushed an arm under the pillow and closed her eyes. Her breathing quickened, being replaced with hard, abrupt whimpers and slow mutterings of an all too familiar nightmare. The flames of McCarroll Ranch and a blood-drenched AJ.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Hoarding Memories</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Clementine took a deep breath, one arm wrapped lazily around her stomach and the other draping. The morning sun was bright; enhancing the booming headache at the base of her skull. Grey clouds filled the sky, swallowing any struggling remnants of blue. The luscious grass was vibrant, wafts of dew flying into her nose. A crow cawed, a fleshy tendon in its beak before digging right back into its meal. Burrowing its little head into the guts of a long-dead corpse. It cawed again and its dark wings blazed and she watched as it took off, red blood dripping onto the concrete of the desolate suburban neighbourhood. </p><p>It was comprised of ruins at this point. Everything had been looted. Clementine had been the one to do it.</p><p>She took her first slow steps down the stairs, limping. Her breath hitched, being cut short by a stab from her ribs. Hissing, she rubbed the sore spot tenderly and slowed down to a crawl once she reached the bottom of the steps. Her car was waiting for her, red and dirty. Her fingers curled around the door and she dragged it open, sliding into the car seat and breathing a sigh of relief, even against the hot leather and the stale air. She frowned and rolled the window down, letting some of the horrid air out of the steel trap.</p><p>The brunette took a deep breath of fresh air and her hands shovelled inside her new denim jacket's pockets. She found the car keys but something else fell out too. A thin piece of film that fluttered next to the pedals, landing face down so she couldn't see the image. She jammed the keys in and twisted them, hearing the engine spark to life and send comforting rumbles through the car's frame. Clementine hunched over, much to her ribs' protests and picked the photograph off the pillow of dust. She shook it off and turned the photo around. </p><p>It was her and AJ. Her amber irises softened and she smiled warmly, staring into the polaroid. She had her fingers up in a 'V' over the top of his head, giving him bunny ears and she couldn't help but laugh. Their grins were so bright. She pulled the sun visor down and placed the photograph in it. Hesitantly letting it go and relaxing as it didn't fall. She shifted the vehicle into first gear and released the handbrake. Her foot pushed on the acceleration and she took off down the road, leaving a plume of black smoke in her wake and the groans of walkers desperately trying to catch up to the explosive roar of the engine. </p><p>She turned the corner and exited the neighbourhood, pulling onto a highway. It was long, straight and cluttered with the rusted carcasses of other cars. She stormed past the graveyard, swerving around the odd walker that tried to shamble in front of her. She had learned her lesson from the first time she hit a walker and almost destroyed the windshield with its decaying body. Continuing to breeze down the highway, her thoughts travelled to AJ. Where was he? Was he safe? Had they hurt him?</p><p>They wouldn't kill him. She was sure of it. They'd of left him with her otherwise. </p><p>Clementine couldn't help the smirk that teleported onto her lips despite the balls of worry bouncing around in her brain. They didn't know she was alive. She could use that to her advantage and catch them by surprise. Her smirk slowly fell however as the car rolled to a stop. A quarantine section. She'd have to go on foot from here. </p><p>Grumbling an incoherent string of swear and profanities she got out the car, taking the photograph with her. She slammed the door shut and opened another, leaning in and clutching an almost empty backpack. A lone tin of food shuffled around. It was all she had. That, her knife, the car keys and the photo. She closed the door and pocketed the keys. There was no point in locking the car. It wouldn't stop people if they wanted it bad enough and it could potentially kill her if she has to get back inside in a hurry. The backpack was light and bounced with every step she took, rocking against her back. </p><p>Her nose crinkled in disgust as she stepped into the silver railings that formed a line. Normally, she would've just vaulted over them but broken ribs were broken ribs. She sighed, if there was more than one walker in there she was dead. She couldn't run and taking just one out would be a challenge in and of itself. Frustrated at the unfamiliar feeling of helplessness and weakness, she barged through the creaking turnstile.</p><p>Inside the quarantine zone was messier than the suburbs she had come from. Dead bodies, skeletons even, lining the street. Holes in their heads and dead flies lying on their exposed, cracked skulls. She almost threw up from the smell. It was worse than the walkers. Beige tents, faded and moulded had been regained by nature. She could catch the movements of stray scrapes brushing against the thin surface of the tent, decaying bloody hands. Human-shaped silhouettes blasting against the canvas. Yellow nails pushing through. A horde was sat dormant in there like a bomb ready to blow, waiting for the tiniest noise to set them off.</p><p>The shrubbery was overgrown and wild, roots twisting and turning through the ruptured concrete. A barrel was alone, tears ripping through its metallic body and burnt trash filling it, overflowing. Strew newspapers and crunchy leaves flew through the air, trapped in the chilled vortex. The place was abandoned, forgotten. Left to fend for itself against the unstoppable force of mother nature herself.</p><p>A cold chill settled over her skin and her heart pounded as a sudden alarm blasted off. It blared, shrill, loud and distracting. Ear piercing. She winced and the faint roars of walkers in the distance exploded over the horizon and the roars of walkers in the quarantine zone erupted. Soon, they would all descend upon her like a plague of diseased rats. The tent tore and a flood filled out. A mass of the undead. The horrid stench, grey skin and snapping jaws. All with one thing on their mind. Her.</p><p>She swore and started sprinting, the pain from her ribs at the back of her mind. She rounded the barrel and dashed into another tent, this one grey and way less overgrown. It was sterilised, a medical tent. The shadows of walkers covered the walls like a looming predator and she was the prey. She ran, heart-pounding and every breath shooting pain through her body. A walker groaned, cutting her off, it was clad in high-grade military gear and black visor that hid its rank face. A Beretta m9 was hugging its hip tightly, trapped in a holster. The armoured walker slugged toward her, its brittle leg peeling against the ground. She pushed her arm out, jamming it underneath its jaw. She wrenched the helmet off and watched in horror as the action tore off its scalp and thick clogs of wispy hair.</p><p>With an exposed weak spot now available, she struck it with her knife, plunging it deep. Her hand roamed down its body and snapped the pistol out of the holster. She let the dead walker go and started running again, turning the safety off and cocking it as she did. That walker had cost her valuable time. She just hoped the gun had ammo.</p><p>Running through flaps that formed a door, she stuck close to the large drop off the highway. The fall was so large that she wouldn't even turn if she fell. Hitting the floor would kill her instantly, she'd become a bloodstain on the ground. Two walker lumbered in front of her, she aimed the pistol, grit her teeth and pulled the trigger. The gun exploded and the sound was deafening. The first walker fell, a clean hole in between its eyes. She stabbed her knife into the chest of the second walker and pushed it off the ledge. The walker slid off her knife and disappeared. She sprinted off again, risking a quick look behind her to see the countless amount of undead running too. Hot on her heels.</p><p>A low to the ground car was blocking her path, dented doors and leaking fuel. She planted a hand on the hood and swiftly slid across, sprawling onto the ground on the other side. Her ribs were yelling at her, demanding her to stop. To give up. No-one can outrun a horde on foot. Not for long anyway. Especially not when you are injured. </p><p>Grunting, she pushed herself back up on wobbly legs, limping forward. She couldn't give up, not when AJ needed her. The walkers crashed and banged against the vehicle. Slowly, it started to push to the side and they began to crawl over the roof like spiders. She aimed the pistol once again, lining the iron sight with her eye. The barrel pointed at the thin, pearlescent line dragging across the ground. A line of flammable gasoline. She pulled the trigger and like an Olympic sprinter, fire bolted across the ground and into the car.</p><p>A precious second passed and the car exploded into a blaze of fire and heat. Bright, glowing and so incredibly loud. Her ears rang and everything morphed into a blur. Bodies arced through the air, raggedy clothing ablaze and skin charred black and pink. Raw flesh and singed hair. Loads of limbs, decapitated heads and chunks of unrecognisable meat. Burnt to a crisp. She raised her hand as scraps of the car cut through the air, a hefty shard of glass digging into her palm. </p><p>She cried out and dropped the pistol, analysing how deep it was. She pocketed her knife. Wincing, she wrapped her hand around the glass and cried out once again as she wrenched it out. Blood dripped out the open wound and onto the cold concrete. An easily followed trail for the remainders of the horde. Their groaning was loud and Clementine watched, awe-struck as they walked through the embers. They were ignoring the flames, even as they scorched them. </p><p>All she had done was cull their numbers by a fraction. An insignificant amount. She hunched over and picked up the pistol once again. She ran, pushing through the turnstile on the other side and leaving the quarantine zone. Her eyes widened, terrified. It was another horde. Blocking her path. She had nowhere to go. She was trapped between two impossible to overcome obstacles.</p><p>But if there was one thing Clementine was incredibly good at. It was surviving. Even when the situation was as hopeless as this. Her mind went into overdrive. She couldn't go forwards, she couldn't go backwards. What about underneath? She dashed to the side, placing a hand on the barrier and peering over. There was a thick slab of concrete holding the highway up, a rusty bronze pipe running along the side. Reluctantly, she climbed over the barrier. She gulped, regretting the decision already.</p><p>The groans were getting louder. She didn't have much time. Taking a massive breath, she stepped off. Dead limbs swinging through the air behind her. Her hands grasped around the cool metal of the pipe and she howled, coming to a stop. Tears were building in her eyes and her ribs flared up. She gasped for air, winded. Sharp breaths daggered out her mouth and she shifted along the pipe, moving under the bridge. Groaning, she heaved herself up.</p><p>She whimpered, letting her bleeding hand fall off the side and the other clutch her waist. Clementine rested. She was alive. Unlike the rain of walkers trying to follow her. Exhausted and dripping with sweat, the teenager watched as they fell, volleying past her and hitting the ground. They weren't splattering against the ground as she had hoped but they were dead on impact. She could see them paint the ground scarlet.</p><p>Slowly, she borrowed her hand into her pocket and dragged out the picture of her and AJ. She stared into it fondly. Getting lost in the memory. It wasn't every day you find a polaroid camera. She had never gotten pictures before, if you loved them you'd remember them, right? Then she learned. That wasn't why people took them. No. It was so you always had a piece of them with you. To remind you what you are fighting for. To give your life purpose. Especially in this day and age.</p><p>"You alright up there?" A voice called out from below, her heart stopped as she recognised who it was, "It looks fucking comfy! I wouldn't blame ya for staying!"</p><p>She groaned, pocketing the photo and peeking her head over the pipe. "I'm doing just peachy, thanks."</p><p>Negan grinned as a walker crashed next to him, "I must say, kid, that explosion was loud as Hell. It was like a fucking dinner bell!"</p><p>"I guess you missed the real one!" </p><p>"You know!" Negan shouted, "I didn't think I would be seein' you again!" He paused. "Where is the younger one anyways?"</p><p>Clementine chuckled. "That's what I was coming to you for! I need your help!"</p><p>"Get yer ass down here then and we can talk!"</p><hr/><p>The shade underneath the bridge was a welcomed change to the glare of the sun; especially to her relentless headache. She gingerly rubbed the wound in her palm with her thumb. She limped, sending a confused look to Negan. He had set up a desk made out of cardboard and was sat on a tire. He had set up a tire for her too. Slowly, she lowered onto the makeshift seat and deflated. "Do you have a cloth or...?"</p><p>Negan rolled his eyes, "Why would I have that?" He stood, walking over to walker's corpse and ripped off a piece of clothing, tossing it to her. "Here."</p><p>"Thanks." She murmured, wrapping it around her hand. She tensed the muscles and her hand crunched shut. She tapped it again her leg nervously.</p><p>"So," Negan questioned, plopping onto his tire. A bottle of water in his hands. "What were you lookin' for me?"</p><p>She leaned forward, "I got attacked by bandits or raiders or something. They took AJ. I want to get him back."</p><p>Negan leaned forward too, matching her. He handed her the bottled water. She took it gratefully. "And what's in it for me? 'Cause I'm not seein' a reason to help you."</p><p>"Half of everything they have, including the stuff they stole from me." She took a swig of water. "You don't have to do anything. I just need some weapons and basic supplies and I'll do it on my own."</p><p>"Let me get this straight," Negan asked, resting his elbows on the cardboard, "You're plannin' on taking on a group of bandits on your own? Whilst injured."</p><p>"To get AJ back, I'd do anything."</p><p>Negan grinned and laughed, "I ain't gonna lie, kid, you got some massive lady-nuts. I'm impressed." He shook his head and averted his gaze. A smog of thought glinted in his eyes. He straightened, looking back at her. "I'll help. We can hash out the terms in my truck." </p><p>She watched as Negan stood up and began walking. "If you don't mind me asking, why?"</p><p>"I'm not gonna let a kid kill herself. Even if she is a bonafide badass." He took a deep breath, "Besides, I like the little guy."</p><p>Clementine followed him as he clambered into the faded white truck. She sat in the passenger's seat. Negan's hand searched the roof and eventually he pulled a radio down. It crackled to life and he waited. Finally, a voice came through. </p><p>"What is it, boss?" He had an accent so thick that she could barely distinguish what he was saying.</p><p>"I need you to start prepping some weapons. We got a guest who'll be needing them. Can you do that Naz?"</p><p>"Uh... Yeah, I can. What weapons?" </p><p>Negan turned to look at her. "What weapons?" </p><p>She hummed thoughtfully, "An assault rifle and some more ammo for my pistol."</p><p>"What-What pistol?"</p><p>"A Beretta m9."</p><p>Negan nodded. "Want a sandwich too?"</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"A sandwich." He echoed. "Do you want one?"</p><p>"Nutella?"</p><p>Negan rolled his eyes. "I'm not a five-star restaurant. Realistically, what sandwich? We have bacon sandwiches."</p><p>"I'll have that then."</p><p>Negan pressed a button on the radio. "An assault rifle, fully loaded, and a 19mm magazine. Oh, yeah, and two bacon sandwiches." </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Finally</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Deep blue was beginning to fracture against the sky and it was that time of day where both the sun and moon were out. The soft rumble of far-off thunder rolled along the streaks of flowing wind. Clementine dug her hand into the dirt, muddying them and fell onto her chest, overlooking the gas station from her perch upon the steep hill. The assault rifle strapped to her back jostled slightly and blades of grass tickled at the exposed part of her leg through the tears in her dark jeans. A thin slide of wet mud ran down the front, leading to a road. On the other side of the road, a lone gas station. Clean and well maintained. It didn't even look like the apocalypse had hit it. There were no defences. Which, much to her displeasure, meant she couldn't sneak in right now. They had a wide-open view of the mostly flat ground for miles. However, she could sneak in under the cover of night, camouflaged as mud, as long as she stayed low to the ground. She had to wonder how they haven't been forced to flee yet.</p><p>A forest was behind her. A dangerous, unpredictable place. A house chock full of danger. Walkers, predators and the dangers of getting lost being the first things to slither into her mind. Yet it was amazing all the same. Peaceful. If the whole world was one big endless forest Clementine could sincerely say she wouldn't mind. The baking sun was a rarity. Leaves shielded the forest's inhabitants from the harsh rays. </p><p>She sighed and brought a pair of heavy high magnification binoculars up to her eyes. Through the lenses she could see bandits lounging around on scrappy sofas and playing cards through the tinted windows. One of them was standing behind the cash register, watching over the rest and absently tapping away at the useless keys. He was easily to most intimidating of the bunch. He was wearing no shirt, showing his bodybuilder-Esque form off at full display. A bushy beard reached across his chest. He was massive.</p><p>Her eyes swiped to the next guy, much smaller in size and wearing a button-up red plaid shirt with rolled-up sleeves. His arms were a mess of hairs and grimes. The next one donned an oversized green and brown hoodie, oddly reminiscent to how she remembered Kenny's overcoat. There were two women in the group and she could recognise one of them in an instant. The pregnant woman with cascading platinum hair. She had been the one to propose taking AJ. Clementine knew her heart was in the right place but God if she didn't hate that woman with every fibre of her being. </p><p>The next woman was dressed in a tank top, a short brush of black hair sticking up off her head. The bandit was leaning against a shelf, stacked with heaps supplies. Some were hers but the rest definitely weren't. Towers of canned food, medicine and the like all stolen. Her mouth watered and she wondered how many people they had stolen from; it had to be in the high twenties and if she could get her hands on all that... She had a deal with Negan, of course, but it was tempting to take everything nonetheless. She could leave the area before Negan could do anything to stop her. He had idiotically put his full trust in her. No-one crossed The Saviours and gotten away with it. Not yet anyway. </p><p>Fuck it. She decided. She was going to take everything and get out of dodge before Negan showed up. The grey box attached to her hip suddenly jumped to life. </p><p><em>"Hello?" </em>Negan's voice was crackly. <em>"Clementine? You copy?"</em></p><p>She brought the radio to her lips. "What's up?"</p><p>Negan chuckled. <em>"I just wanted to double-check the terms. You sure you're fine with them? You can back out if you want."</em></p><p>"Trust me. If it gets AJ back... I'll accept any terms."</p><p>
  <em>"How many are there?"</em>
</p><p>She did an instantaneous headcount. "Seven. I can barely see the last two. There may be more further inside."</p><p>Negan trilled. <em>"Quick heads-up, I've sent a guy over your way."</em> </p><p>"What? Why?!" She snapped, "I got this!"</p><p>
  <em>"I don't fucking doubt that. He's not there for you, he's there to make sure you don't do anythin'. Can't have you runnin' off with our half. Deal's a deal. You gotta pay your side."</em>
</p><p>She gritted her teeth, barely masking her frustration. "He wasn't part of our deal."</p><p>
  <em>"You said you'd agree with any terms as long as you got the little squirt back, did you not?"</em>
</p><p>A growl reverberated out her mouth. "Fine. How long will he be?" </p><p><em>"Like 'em big do you?"</em> Negan smirked.</p><p>She groaned and rolled her eyes. She responded, a demanding edge in her voice. "Just answer the damn question."</p><p><em>"Nightfall."</em> He replied simply.</p><p>She knew he was keeping it vague. So she couldn't grasp how far away he was or how long it would take. "He better be. I'm not waiting around twiddling my thumbs for him to show up."</p><p>The radio ticked off. The conversation was finished. She sighed and instinctively worked a hand through her wavy brown locks. A nervous habit of hers. She brought the photo out of her pocket and glanced back at the gas station. AJ was in there, somewhere. They could've done anything to him and that thought alone was enough to let the monstrous thoughts smash into her brain. Anxiety and worry swirled around her heart, gripping the rapidly beating organ in a drowning vice grip. It drowned every other emotion except for the burning searing flames of rage and anger. A beast trapped within the fragile shell of a human teenaged girl.</p><p>She took a look at the photograph and like magic, the anger froze. Dissipating into dancing waves of happiness and warmth. Clementine closed her orbs. She despised feeling angry, desperate or bitter. It was why she kept AJ around. Held him so close. It was to submerge the taunting songs of the people who perished because of her. Drown out their ghostly echoes. Drown out the emptiness within her splintered and fragmented soul with a flood of familial cosiness. She wiped the feeble tear line off her cheek with the back of her caramel hand. Smearing mud across her features.</p><p>She pocketed the polaroid and exhaled, watching her breath coil in the cold of the night. The sun had just dipped down over the horizon, fading in a spiral of reddish discharges and yellow streaks. A beautiful sight to behold. The muted grumbles of an engine sailed into her ears. She pushed herself up and watched as her car forced itself through the thicket of the forest. She placed a hand on her hip and drove all her weight onto one foot. A man switched the engine off and stepped out of her car. He had milky white skin and his head was shaved bare. An air of arrogance swirled around him like a forcefield and his drab eyes were critically staring at her.</p><p>"Like my car?" She offered offhandedly, raising an unimpressed eyebrow.</p><p>The man shrugged nonchalantly and stretched out his hand. "Name's Milz. You?"</p><p>"Clementine." She responded tightly, not taking the offered appendage. Milz frowned and retracted his hand. She noticed his shotgun. "You're going down with me, are you?"</p><p>"Negan told me to. I intend to listen."</p><p>She couldn't help her snort. "So you're his lapdog. Take every order without thinking about it first?"</p><p>Milz ignored her attempts at getting under his skin and strode past her. Overlooking the gas station. "Eight." He said.</p><p>"Pardon?"</p><p>"There are eight. One's hanging around the back door."</p><p>She nodded, standing next to him. The guy was a know-it-all and she already recognised the signs that this was going to go horribly. Their attitudes were clashing already. "We going or what?"</p><p>"Ladies first." His eyes were still scouting the bandits' camp. She adjusted her assault rifle, tightening it and double-checking that her pistol was still strapped into its holster correctly. She stretched out her denim jacket's sleeves and stepped off onto the slippery mud. She slid down it confidently and dived into the trench beside the rough concrete of the road. A quick glance to her left revealed the Washington skyline. Dim and just a shadow in the distance.</p><p>She felt trapped caked head-to-toe in mushy mud. It didn't matter though. AJ mattered more. Setting her minds on better things than her slimy camouflage, she peaked her head over. The bandits had ignited a barrel fire. Milz slid beside her. </p><p>"Aren't you gonna mud up?" She whispered. </p><p>"No. Why would I?" </p><p>Clementine glared at him. "My kid's in there and you don't want to-" She clenched her jaw shut, angered. "Just fucking do it. I'm not taking any risks."</p><p>Milz swore at her under his breath but she paid it no mind. AJ was more important than whatever he had to say about her. She waited patiently, counting in her head for as long as it took him to cover himself in the clumpy mud. twenty-eight seconds. </p><p>"Finally..." She muttered.</p><p>"What'd you say?"</p><p>"Can we not do this right now." She snapped back. "I'm already unhappy enough having you tag along with me. Slowing me down because I have to baby you more than AJ."</p><p>Milz met her glare. "I'm not exactly happy about this either."</p><p>"Then why are you here?"</p><p>"Because I have orders."</p><p>She gawked at him and shook her head. She planted one hand into the mud and heaved herself out of the natural trench. She crouched down and started to traverse across the road. She forced her back next to the nearest gas pump and sighed in relief. Her eyes widened drastically and sheer panic coursed through her veins as she watched Milz casually walk across the road. He hunched down next to her. </p><p>"Are you fucking slow?" She whisper shouted, voice sharp. "Are you trying to get us killed!"</p><p>"We can go around back. Sneak in that way." He disregarded her.</p><p>She fumed wordlessly and began to manoeuvre around the gas pump, hugging the wall of the store and slipping underneath the windows, avoiding the watchful eyes of the bandits. "Do you even know what that means?"</p><p>She held a fist in the air, commanding Milz to stop. To her surprise, he did. He went as still as a statue. She examined the back. One guard, not much older than her. He was sat on a flimsy army green camping chair with a cup of steaming hot coffee in his hand. A map of Virginia was laid out on a nearby wooden wire spool. She could just about make out a maze of red pins stabbing into the paper. Places they had hit, or were about to hit. She couldn't tell. An axe was left overlooked next to a dumpster in a heap of chopped timber. </p><p>Her fingers scraped against the ground and she scooped up a pebble in her palm. She hurled it and it rattled against the dumpster. She watched as the bandit stood and investigated the noise. Turning his back. Rapidly, she scurried across the ground, flipping her knife out. Quickly, she slit his throat and a fountain of scarlet blood painted the dumpster. He fell to the ground, drowning on his own blood. She put him out of his misery with a stab to the back of his head. Milz took his shotgun off his back and approached the silver door. </p><p>"What're you-" She was cut off by the sound of his boot slamming into the door and kicking it open. Milz pushed through and blasted the first bandit, the woman with short hair in the gut, rupturing them. Clementine watched as her body catapulted back into the shelves, knocking some over and spilling all sorts of supplies across the tiled floor. "Fucksakes!" She roared, pushing in as well, the barrel of the AK-47 first.</p><p>The man in the plaid shirt entered her sights and she unloaded into him. The bandit's pistol flew out his grasp and careened through the window. He fell to the ground, blood oozing out the holes in his chest. She heard the shotgun go off and faintly registered a headless man fall to the ground. She aimed at the cash register and the bandit there earlier was gone. The front doorbell went off and the pregnant woman dashed out of it, clutching at her massive stomach. Clementine aimed the gun and a bullet tore through the running ladies' leg. She collapsed to the ground, landing on her back. </p><p>Suddenly. Clementine found herself being lifted off the ground, a hand worming under her jaw and squeezing the life out of her neck. She dropped the assault rifle and stared into the eyes of the man holding her. His eyes were dark, empty and soulless. She struggled uselessly to pry open his talons, hearing shotgun blast after shotgun blast. Milz wasn't helping her. Her hands unclipped the pistol and switched the safety off. The man heard it and quickly adjusted his grip on her. She took the moment of freedom to breathe deeply.</p><p>She felt her back push into his chest and a thick burly arm go across her throat, suffocating her again. She tried to aim the pistol and shoot the man but it was impossible. His arm was blocking her efforts to aim over her shoulder. The corners of her vision were fading black. She kept persisting, pushing the gun up. A fist wrapped the gun, holding it in place against her shoulder and crushing her hand. Tears were swelling in her amber eyes. Terrified. She tried to wiggle it, gasping for a breath. Nothing was working. Having exhausted all her options, she did the only thing left. </p><p>And pulled the trigger.</p><p>The shot rang out and the bullet tore through the muscles and flesh in her shoulder, digging into the man. He released her, howling in pain. She scrawled across the floor and slid onto her back, pistol in hand. The man was rushing at her. She shot him again, this time through the head. The man fell limp, crashing to the ground. Eyes even more soulless than they were before. She inhaled, recovering. Everyone in the store was now dead. Milz leaned past a shelf and she instantly aimed her pistol at him.</p><p>The man dived for cover and she fired, missing. She swore and scrambled for cover next to the cash register. She rested the barrel of the gun against the desk and aimed at where Milz was. Hiding behind the sofa. "Show yourself!" She demanded furiously. </p><p>"What the fuck is your problem!" Milz yelled back. </p><p>"You tried to kill me!" She screamed. Shooting at the sofa and creating a hole in it. She missed him. Frowning, she rotated around the store. She hugged the wall, stalking past the smashed window. A still-standing shelf obstructed her view of the furniture. She peaked around the corner and Milz's shotgun blasted, destroying the shelf where her head just was. She stayed frozen in place, listening for movement. Eventually, she heard it. The sound of the steel in the tips of his boots scratching the blood-stained floor.</p><p>He was moving toward the cash register. A plan formed. </p><p>Cut him off. </p><p>She moved silently like a tiger. Milz was on the other side of the shelf. She could hear his loud footsteps. She waited, gun pre-aimed and finger curled around the trigger. It only took about a second for Milz's head to line up with the barrel. With no hesitation, she pulled the trigger and his brains splattered. Joining the mess of bodies on the floor. </p><p>Everything went silent but the faint whimpers of the pregnant lady outside. She covered her bleeding shoulder, feeling it trickle in between her fingers. Her cold eyes landed on the woman and she marched out, throwing the gun to the side and picking her up by the scruff of her collar. "Where is he?" She demanded.</p><p>The woman begged, "P-Please... Don't-" </p><p>"You took away the one thing I have left to lose and that is not a very good idea. Now is not the time to beg for your life." </p><p>"I-In the manager's office."</p><p>Clementine nodded, dropped her and picked her pistol back up again. "Thank you." She slid the pistol back into the holster and re-entered the gas station. She marched up to the manager's door and knocked. "AJ?" She tested, desperately hoping.</p><p>"Clem?!" AJ's muffled reply responded. She laughed, relieved. He was alive! She took her pistol out again and shot the lock, opening it. The door swung open and fell to her knees as AJ barreled into her, wrapping his arms around her midsection. She hissed, AJ's arms were pushing down on her cracked ribs. AJ seemed to notice and loosened his grip. She hugged him back, planting a kiss on his head. </p><p>"I-I was so, so worried." Her words were broken, slurred and muffled against his bushy hair and through her tears but she couldn't care. She had fought through Hell and back but it was all worth it.</p><p>She had her little goofball back.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Monster</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I missed you... So, so much..." Clementine uttered feebly, her words fluttering through the fusty air. Barely audible and serene. She questioned how he hadn't heard anything, it wasn't like the gunfight was quiet. Jarringly, she pushed him away, holding him at arms length. She patted him down, forcing him to pivot as she checked his back.  "They didn't hurt you, did they?" She asked, licking the tips of her finger and combing it through his hair, flattening it.</p><p>AJ shook his head.</p><p>"Good." She breathed.</p><p>The teenager stood, allowing her hand to linger past her hip. She beamed a sad smile and wiggled her fingers playfully. AJ wrapped his hand around hers and she clutched it tightly, afraid to let him go.</p><p>They began to leave the store. "Just, uh, just try not to look, alright?" She warned.</p><p>"Why?" AJ queried, looking up at her. Coffee-coloured orbs glistening with the boundless curiosity only a child could have. The same wonder she used to have before the world ravaged and destroyed it with its tide of death and being forced to grow up way too soon. He'd never become like her. It was the single thing other than his safety that she strived for.</p><p>She paused. "It's... not pretty." She was right, it wasn't. Rows of dead bodies, puddles of blood that shone in the flickering orange light from the barrel fire. Razor-edged shards of glass littered the ground like torn paper. Supplies: medicine, ammo, food and water all spilt messily. Heaps upon heaps of rations spread carelessly. Her eyes softened, the short-haired woman had turned and was crawling at them, leaving a trail of bloodied guts behind. Her eyes sunken and white, nails scraping and hoarse groaning croaking out her mouth. She took out her pistol, detached from AJ and trained it at the walker's head. She fired and the dead body slumped. </p><p>"You're bleeding." AJ supplied from behind her. He was scanning the store despite her pleading of him not to.  She washed the disappointment away like a wave and rubbed the hole in her shoulder, hissing.</p><p>Retracting her bloodsoaked hand, she answered, "Yeah... Yeah, I am."</p><p>"Nothing you can't fix though, right?"</p><p>"I'm gonna need your help with this one, buddy. It's in an awkward spot for me."</p><p>"B-but I've never done it before!"</p><p>"Every day's a school day." She smiled softly, "I'll walk you through it, don't worry."</p><p>"If you say so..." He still sounded unsure.</p><p>"Trust me. You'll do fine." She ejected the magazine and counted the bullets. Sighing, she pushed the cartridge back in and held the gun out to AJ. "Nine bullets. Take this. I need you to start bagging up the supplies. I'm gonna get the car and then we can leave all this," she gestured to the mess, "behind us."</p><p>"Yeah..." AJ accepted the pistol and Clementine smiled at him.</p><p>"Be back in a few." She promised, stepping outside.</p><p>Her eyes landed onto the pregnant women, who were looking at back at her, terrified. She sighed, shook her head and crossed the road. The Saviours wouldn't be too far away now. They would help the woman out. Probably.</p><p>She gazed up at the steep hill, seeing the path she had made when sliding down it. She dug her hand into the sloshy, sludgy mud and began the climb up. Her arms ached, her broken ribs stabbed, the bullet wound bled and her bruised neck was tender. She grit her teeth and pushed forward, up and up until finally she made it to the top; rolling over the lip.</p><p>Exhausted and feeling her own body begin to betray her, she staggered to her feet and limped over to her car. She caught herself mid stumble by slamming a hand down on the filthy hood. Her breaths were quick and panic-filled as she attempted desperately to reign herself in. Tears swelled in the corners of her eyes. Trying in all her might not to get swept away into yet another panic attack, she slapped herself. Her cheek stung but it worked and Clementine found herself back in control of her senses.</p><p>Taking a huge breath, she slipped into the driver's seat and slammed the door behind her. The teenager rested her forehead on the outer rim of the steering wheel. Thoughts swirled like an insane hurricane in her head. A loud bang rattled the car's frame and she snapped her neck to look at it. A walker. The gunfight had would probably attract a lot of them. Kicking herself for being so stupid, Clementine switched the blinding headlights on and thumped the pedal to the metal.</p><p>The tires squealed in the wet ground, spinning in place before the car subsequently took off, barreling down the hill at top speed. She winced at the worrying sounds the suspension made as the car bucked, scraping against the concrete. She slowed to a stop outside the gas station and raised an eyebrow at a gas pump. Maybe...? She shook her head and stepped back out the vehicle, entering the store.</p><p>AJ was hunched over two bags, filled to the brim with supplies. He zipped up a pack twisted around on his heels.</p><p>"Good job, kiddo." She smiled.</p><p>"I thought you said to avoid killing. That is should always be a last resort." AJ said abruptly, staring her down.</p><p>Her smile slipped off her face and she deflected her gaze away from him. The still bodies seemed even more apparent to her now than ever. Sticking out like a sore thumb amidst the chaos.</p><p>"Did you even try anything else?" The child challenged.</p><p>"N-no... I didn't..."</p><p>"So your first thought was to kill everyone?" AJ opened his mouth, gaping at her like a fish and closed it again, shaking his head. He continued, "Why, Clem? Why would you do this?"</p><p>She looked at him, about to answer when Milz's radio went off, a low buzzing immediately followed by Negan's gravelly voice. <em>"Do you copy?"</em></p><p>Clementine froze, staring at the object with piercing blades. A growl escaped her snarling lips and she marched over to the offending radio and snatched it, holding the bottom to her mouth. Hesitating. "AJ." She whispered coldly, "Put the bags in the car and do up your seatbelt, we're gonna have to move.</p><p>"B-but-"</p><p>"Now, AJ." She replied sternly, leaving no room for argument. AJ picked up on her seriousness and swallowed the lump at the back of his throat, picking up the packed bags and leaving through the swinging door.</p><p>
  <em>"I repeat, do you copy?"</em>
</p><p>Her finger clenched around the button, turning it on. "Hello, asshole."</p><p>
  <em>"Clementine! What a fucking surprise!"</em>
</p><p>"He tried to kill me, the deal's off."</p><p>
  <em>"Why do you think I sent him? To make sure you keep your end of the bargain."</em>
</p><p>Clementine smirked, walking out the store and into the rain. Feeling it smash against her skin, a relief to long dried mud that hardened on her face. "You know me so well, I'm honoured."</p><p>When Negan responded, his voice was laced with toxic ice, "You<em> best fucking run, little pig. Run as fast as you can because you've pissed me off."</em></p><p>She got in the car and slammed the door with a deafening bang. Rolling the window down, she held the radio out of it and dropped it effortlessly. Her fingers clasped around the steering wheel. "Hold on, AJ. This might get bumpy. I-I don't actually know where he's coming from so keep an eye out but we have to get going."</p><p>"Clem? What did you do?"</p><p>Amber met coal in the rearview mirror as she pushed down on the gas, "Later. I promise."</p><hr/><p>Negan slammed the truck door shut, pinching his forehead irritably. The gas station was flooded with Saviours. "I'm gonna fucking go grey from this shit..." He muttered under his breath, crouching down in front of the weeping pregnant lady. "Hey, darlin'... What's your name?"</p><p>"K-Katy." She whimpered,, lip trembling.</p><p>"Well, Katy," He said, poking the ground with Lucille, a bloodied baseball bat with sharp barbed wire wrapped around it. Katy eyed it cautiously. "Where did she go? I can help you if you help me."</p><p>Katy gulped and with a shaky arm pointed, over his shoulder; causing him to sigh heavily.</p><p>"Fucking great... She's gonna be long gone by now." He stood, dusting himself off and resting Lucille over his shoulder. He called out, "Jacob!"</p><p>The man in question came jogging over, a long moustache dangling from his upper lip. "What is it, boss?"</p><p>"Get this lovely lady into a car, we're bringing her back. While you're at it, get the rest of these useless fucks to loot what little is left. This was a waste of time."</p><p>"Right away," Jacob replied, jogging away as quickly as he came. Negan shook his head and casually twirled his baseball bat, marching up to a walker. It was masculine, wearing a tattered red and white flannel shirt and brown cargo pants. He crashed Lucille into its flimsy jaw, sending it flying off to scatter across the damp ground. The walker tumbled to the ground and he brought Lucille down on its crumbly skull, over and over again. Smashing its head until it was nothing but a bloody, mushy stain against the concrete. He straightened, adjusting his black leather jacket and swiping specks of blood off.</p><p>"Hey, uh, Jacob? One last thing before you go. Send a search party out. Only a small one. I don't wanna make this easy for her. She crossed us and that ain't a wise move, no way in fucking hell is it."</p><hr/><p>They were back in the house, the very same one where she tortured the brothers. The bathroom was small, the walls were painted with grimy white tiles and the shower had fallen, plunging through the glass. Shards crunched under her boot. Filth lightly covered the mirror. Clementine hesitantly brought her digits to the edge of her stained shirt, peeling it back to reveal the stitched bullet wound. She saw her reflection (still covered in mud) wince when she prodded it gently. It was a far cry from a good job but it would do. Not too shabby for a little kid.</p><p>She was proud of AJ regardless. He had been taking things really well in her opinion. She knew she would have to answer his questions sooner or later, despite how much she wished otherwise. She couldn't keep running from it. The teenager stared into her reflection, haunted eyes stared right back. Soulless. No flicker of warmth. She was unable to recognise the person looking back. She frowned and quickly darted her gaze away. She was dangerous on her own. AJ was... He was her anchor. The one thing holding her to the mark. Rooting her in place, stopping her from going too far. He was her light in a world of suffocating darkness.  </p><p>Gripping the edges of the sink until her fingers tensed white, she took a deep breath. She could feel an unfamiliar feeling bubble to the surface and her breath shook as she realised what it was. Clementine fought back the urge to scream. To let everything out. All the pain, mental and physical, the raw emotions she had stored within the deep depths of her heart. Tears welled in the rims of her eyes, threatening tersely to trickle. She clenched her jaw shut and hurled her head into her hands, grasping uselessly at the strands of her curly hair.</p><p>And...</p><p>Everything calmed. Settling like the sea after a particularly violent storm. She composed herself and stood tall, grabbing her hat from the window sill and placing it neatly on her head. Shifting some stray curls from her face and leaving the bathroom. She stepped down the stairs and into the living room, watching the basement door like a hawk and taking her navy jacket from the back of the sofa. AJ observed her, sitting on the floor with his legs crossed and head resting on the beige wall and torn wallpaper.</p><p>"You holding up okay?" She asked, shrugging into her jacket.</p><p>AJ nodded silently. "Today was..." </p><p>"A bit too much?" She finished.</p><p>AJ nodded once again and she smiled sadly at him. "Take all the time you need, I'm gonna go wash all this mud off me. There's a small lake nearby."</p><p>"Yeah, see you later, Clem."</p><p>She hovered in the doorway, "AJ... d-don't go in the basement, okay?"</p><p>"Alright..." </p><p>"Great. And I... I love you."</p><p>"Love you back."</p><p>She beamed and left, leaving AJ to his own devices and trusting him to listen to her. For the most part, AJ did. Remaining in the same spot until he got bored and ultimately got up. He roamed the house in a desperate search for something to use to pass the time. He finally stopped in front of the basement door, cocking his head curiously. Why did Clem not want him to go in there? He reached out and opened the door, staring into the cryptic abyss on the other side. He could hear jaws snap, groaning and tumbling. Sounds of things crashing around. </p><p>He startled when a bony hand landed on the bottom of the steps and heave the half-eaten body of someone not much older than him into the light. He stared into the undead eyes as an eyeless walker crawled past his younger brother. He froze in place and his mouth forced open, screaming a soundless scream. His body quivered, terrified, and he retreated. Shuffling backwards as the walker pair began to creep up the stairs. Just then, Clementine barged through the front door and she too froze in place. </p><p>Her eyes softened and she rushed over, kicking Sam's undead body back down the stairs and slamming to door shut, pushing her shoulder against the door as it rattled from the walkers on the other side. </p><p>"AJ-" She tried to explain only to get cut off. </p><p>"Don't."</p><p>"Please..." She begged. </p><p>AJ backed away, staring at her with wide eyes and that was when she realised he was looking at her the same way as he did the walkers. A wave of hurt flooded through her when she realised what that meant. </p><p>"You're... You're a monster..." AJ sputtered, still moving away. She watched in horror as his hand went down to his pocket as he pulled out the pistol she gave him earlier, "We kill the monsters." </p><p>He aimed the gun at her.</p><p>"AJ! Please!" </p><p>The gun wavered. "Why? Why did you do it, Clem?"</p><p>She grit her teeth as another crash echoed from the door. "I-I did it for you..." She made eye contact with him, "If being a monster means you're safe... Then so be it. That's a sacrifice I'm prepared to make."</p><p>AJ shook his head, lowered the gun and turned tail; dashing away. The banging stopped and Clementine cried, punching the door with all her might, splitting the skin around her knuckles. She sobbed, sliding down the door and tucking her face into her knees. Years of pent up emotions had finally been released in one fell swoop like a volcanic eruption. Tears streamed from her face as cried. She had lost him, she was sure of it.</p><p>AJ was never going to forgive her. </p>
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